How Candidates Should Act During the Hiring Process

How Candidates Should Act During the Hiring Process The recruiter/candidate relationship can sometimes be a tricky one. You both need to be on the same page in order to get to the ultimate goal: a successful hire. If everyone isn’t working towards the same goal, success won’t always be found. Etiquette plays a very important role in that relationship. Sometimes a candidate does not want to answer a question truthfully in an effort to not hurt their chances at prospective employment. Unfortunately lying, or omitting the truth, can only hurt you as a candidate more than help. A recruiter wears many hats from sourcing, to interviewing, to negotiating offers and more. One of the most important roles of a recruiter is ensuring that the hiring process is run smoothly. At any point the hiring process can get stalled, and the more information the recruiter has collected about what both sides want (candidate and hiring manager) the better they can be at making sure a successful hire is made. This is where the relationship between the recruiter and candidate comes into play and why it is so vital to be on the same page. If you as a candidate do not take the process seriously you are hurting the process. Below I highlight some of the main reasons of how a candidate can hurt or slow down the process by not acting with the right etiquette: 1) Salary expectations: This is usually the make or break for any deal. I don’t have exact numbers on me, but ask a majority of recruiters and they will tell you most deals do not go through because of a disagreement on a salary. As a candidate it is your responsibility to know what you are worth. It is also important to know what is realistic. We all want six figure salaries, but if you aren’t there yet, don’t decide you won’t settle for anything less, it will only hurt you. At the same time when you get the offer letter, now is not the time to demand more money. Yes things can change throughout the hiring process and as you learn more about the job your salary expectations can change. But getting the offer letter and deciding you want 10K higher than you originally discussed with the recruiter is bad form. Decide what you are worth, tell the team hiring you and go from there! READ MORE: How to Answer Salary Questions in Your Interview 2) Schedule flexibility: As a recruiter I realize you work, so scheduling interviews may not be easy. However as a candidate you must be flexible and deciding you will only interview after hours or the weekends is just unrealistic. Just as you are working from 9-5 so is the person interviewing you! Do not take time from a hiring manager outside of work just because you can’t handle an interview during normal working hours. You are one of hundreds of viable candidates and if the hiring team agreed to every candidate demands like that they would never have time to themselves. Normally interviews done out of normal working hours are reserved for candidates who are close to an offer letter. 3) Communication: Unfortunately the hiring process can get a bad reputation for dragging on and this sadly can be true. But the term “strike while the iron is hot” is completely applicable in hiring. When a team is ready to make a move, all parties must be prepared. As a candidate you must be ready to respond quickly. Of course if you are working it is understandable that you may not get back to a recruiter until the end of the day, or only over email. But regardless it is proper etiquette to respond back to the recruiter within the same day unless something drastic has come up. Deciding to not call your recruiter back for whatever reason is improper and unprofessional. 4) Honesty: There are a lot of items that can be covered under the umbrella. Ultimately you must have complete transparency with the recruiter. One part of honesty is informing the recruiter of interviews with other companies. Believe me you will not hurt a recruiter’s feelings by telling them you are interviewing elsewhere. Any good recruiter realizes this. If you are as good of a candidate as you say you are you should be in demand. And honestly, companies competing over your services will only benefit you when it comes time for an offer. It makes companies act quicker when they know they could lose you to a competitor and could drive up your asking price so they can get you. It only is a benefit for you by being honest, so don’t hold anything back. 5) Declining offers: This point really could be labeled as 4B, because it again has to do with honesty. If an offer does come your way and you just ultimately decide against it, declining the offer is not the worst thing in the world. These things happen, and as disappointing as it may be for the company who you declined, they will move on. And they ultimately will probably not hold it against you. However if you decide not to inform the recruiter of this and leave them hanging this will present problems. Recruiters put a lot of effort into working with you for this position, the least you could do is call this person and have an open and honest discussion on why the offer is being declined. 6) Commitment: An offer letter is a contract and contracts are made not to be broken. So when you officially sign an offer letter you are signing a contract of employment. In most cases there are no financial or career threatening repercussions of breaking an offer letter, so this is why candidates can feel so comfortable with doing it. But this is very bad form. A company has made the decision to bring you on board and told every other candidate they have not been chosen. If you sign an offer letter, all other offers from other companies or a potential counter offer from your current employer should have already been discussed. Signing the offer letter and then deciding that you will accept that counter offer or possibly another offer is unprofessional. And by now the company has spent a lot of money interviewing you and performing the necessary pre-employment checks, which is now essentially money wasted. After reading all this I can see how a candidate would say “so what?” because really there are no financial or professional ramifications on you as a candidate if you break any, or all of these points. However I can tell you this much, the recruiting industry is a very tight nit community. The society we live in is all about connections and networks. From LinkedIn to Twitter to Facebook and every other form of social media our networks are wide and they are well connected. I can tell countless stories where a candidate’s name has come up and someone in the hiring group knew of a story of that candidate in question that made them not want to move forward with an interview. All because a candidate made a decision in their past that is now impacting their present day chances at a potential position. You are not the only candidate being considered for this position. So while you feel your technical abilities may be the strongest and therefore making you the best candidate that is not all that matters. Equally important is your ability to interact with the company in a professional manner. Companies put a high value of emphasis on hiring for ethics and etiquette as they do on technical skills. As a candidate it is just as important for you to be able to perform the job at hand as it is for you to be a person of good morals. If you decide that is not the case than at some point in your career this can come back to impact you in a negative way. Disclaimer:  Yes this article is written from a recruiters perspective. However I can assure you this author has been on the candidate side of the table. Everything written in this article is advice that I myself would comply with, no questions asked. This article was written with ideas and experiences of a close business contact of mine, John Creeden.  He is a well respected  Talent Acquisition professional in the NY/NJ area.

Is Trade School a Good Option for You

Is Trade School a Good Option for You Is Trade School a Good Option for You? Figuring out what type of education you need is tough. Especially, when the world around us is changing so fast. New tech. Smart tools. Innovative professions. Whats better though is that education is changing too, to accommodate the new reality of work. You have good ole’ college, online degrees and e-learning courses, and trade schools.   Is trade school a good option for your career? Perhaps. It’s worth looking into, given that many high-demand jobs today do not require a four-year college degree. Instead, they require very specific vocational training and certifications that trade schools provide.  What is a Trade School, Really?A trade school is a place of learning that gets students job-ready for careers that require specific skills. Some are part of public secondary schools, but most are for high school graduates who do not choose to go to four-year colleges.Once you graduate from high school, you have three choices â€" low level job, college (academic), or vocational ( trade) school. Again, what a trade school does is give you training that will take you far above those low-level paying jobs, but will not require the longer, more complicated college education.Some of the skill programs trade schools offer are the following:electricianwelderplumberHVAC technicianIT careers â€" programming/coding, networking, cybersecurity, etc.dental technicianpractical nursingparalegaland more.Why Trade Schools and Vocational Programs are Catching on TodayIf you have ever watched the TV show, “Dirty Jobs,” you know the host Mike Rowe. Here is what he had to say about the cost of a college education:  â€œWe are lending money we don’t have to kids who can’t pay it back to train them for jobs that no longer exist.”  True. College is getting more expensive. Plus, it no longer guarantees you good employment when you do graduate. This and other reasons are why trade schools have become so much more popular these days.   Let’s unpack these reasons.Trade Schoo ls Have an Attractive Price TagAccording to the American College Board, the average annual tuition and fees for a 4-year degree at a private college/university was $32,410 in 2018. This same organization reports the following average annual costs as well.In-state students in public colleges paid $9,410 on averageOut-of-state students in public universities paid $23,890.This is not the whole story, though. You can multiply each of these annual tuition costs by four to get the average cost for a full degree program. Then, you must add the costs of room and board, books and other incidental costs (e.g., lab fees), and the price tag is pretty hefty!But here’s the real kicker: The cost of going to college is increasing 8 times (!!!) faster than wages growth.Most people who go to college have to take out student loans. And here are a few shockers. In the first quarter of 2019, total student loan debt in the U.S. rose to $1.53 trillion, averaging out to about $37,000 per student.Now, com pare this cost to that of two-year vocational programs â€" an average of $33,000, taking into account both public and private schools.Trade Schools Get You into the Job Market FasterFour-year colleges are not “movers and shakers” when it comes to making changes in their programs of study. They cling to the need to graduate “well-rounded” students and so require lots of general education courses that can take up the first two years of a program.But trade schools provide programs without the general education requirements, streamlining degrees/certifications to a maximum of two years, oftentimes, less. Really, does a welder need to study Shakespeare? Trade schools say “no.”Students who want to get out into the world of work and begin to earn money as soon as possible, will find that trade schools meet that goal better.How Much Can You Earn After Trade School?You may be surprised to know that some trade school graduates earn over $50,000 per year.Welders get an average $54, 000+ a year, while a good dental hygienist salary can go well into the $70,000-$80,000 range.Obviously, different vocational careers result in a wide variety of annual incomes (vet techs, for example, will earn less than a certified IT networking pro), but so do jobs for college graduates.In our previous post, we shared several other high-paying jobs that don’t require a degree.So, Is Trade School for You?Look, this is a personal decision. But if you are a high school grad, with no more training or education, your career path is limited. You will be employed in low-paying jobs. And many of these are being taken over by technology. Your future is not bright. So, what should you do?Ultimately, your options are two-fold:You can launch into a college degree program with its cost and future debt to pay off,Or you can explore your options through trade school programs.Trade schools cost far less, and their roster of programs keeps expanding year-after-year. So, think about it.Finally, r emember that education comes as the last section on your resume. If you have tons of hands-on experience and some solid past accomplishments, most employers would prefer that + any school to a “fancy school” with no experience. previous article Career (Con)Quest #9: Nobody’s Perfect next article Career (Con)Quest #10: Knock, Knock! Whos There? you might also like6 Online Gigs You Can Do During Coronavirus Outbreak (To Offset Your Lost Income)

Generation Z will revolutionize education

Generation Z will revolutionize education My kids are Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2010. And I wonder: what can we see in those kids now that can tell us what theyll be like later, at work? As a history student in college (history of political thought, for all you fans of the Republic) and still an obsessive researcher of generational demographic trends (everyone should start with Strauss Howe) I understand that to study history (contemporary or ancient), you must study generational shifts in thinking, because the way the generation thinks helps us to understand and explain historical action. And maybe predict future action. So I think a lot about what Generation Z will be like. I have written before about what Generation Z will be like at work , but Ive been thinking, recently, that the way Gen Z is educated will change the workplace when they enter it. Baby boomers changed politics, Gen X changed family, Gen Y changed work, and Gen Z will change education. Heres how the education of Gen Z will affect us at work. 1. A huge wave of homeschooling will create a more self-directed workforce. Homeschooling is going mainstream. We have known for a while that public education in the United States is largely terrible. Yes, there are pockets that are exceptional, but for the most part, we have an education crisis on our hands. But Baby Boomers were too scared to solve the crisis with homeschooling. If you homeschool your kids, you take them out of the typical ways to measure how well kids are doing in the competition. Baby Boomers couldnt handle that, and they also wanted to work full-time, so instead of homeschooling, Baby Boomers got kids tons of tutoring and extra help after school. Gen X is more comfortable working outside the system than Baby Boomers. Gen X women are fine quitting their jobs to take care of their kidsthey have no feminist ax to grind in the workplace. And Gen X parents dont feel a need to have their kid compete because Gen X is so noncompetitive. So homeschooling among Gen X parents is becoming mainstream. Its no longer just for religious radicals and problem children. Homeschooling is for parents who know public schools are broken and dont have $20,000 a year for private school. This means we will have a generation of kids who grew up with largely a self-learning, self-directed model. They are more accustomed to figuring out what they like to do, and doing it on their own. The crisis to figure out what to do with ones life will not last so long because Gen X will raise more independent and self-directed kids. 2. Homeschooling as kids will become unschooling as adults. We have established that school does not prepare people for work. In fact, Gen Y has been very vocal about this problem because a) they did everything they were told to do and it didnt help them get a job and b) we have a national crisis because gen y has huge debt from college and little ability to pay it back. With alternative schooling and an emphasis on independent investigation, Generation Z will be the first group of knowledge workers who were trained to do their job before they started working. For example, Generation Z will be great at synthesizing information because they will have been doing thatrather than memorizingthe whole time they were in school. The workplace ramification of this shift in learning is that Generation Z will have no problem directing their careers. They will know how to figure out what skill to learn next, and they will have more self-discipline to do it on their own. When Gen Z enters the workforce, the older people, Gen X and Gen Y, will work to live, not live to work. This will be something Gen X and Gen Y fought hard for. To Gen Z it will be easy to do and self-learning will take center stage in their work day. So, as qualifications for the workplace will rapidly change and older people who dont keep up will be outdated, it will be Generation Z that is best at keeping up. Not because they are young, but because they understand that unschooling is not a movement for kids, but a way to live a life, and it doesnt stop when you start getting a paycheck. 3. The college degree will return to its bourgeois roots; entrepreneurship will rule. The homeschooling movement will prepare Generation Y to skip college, and Gen X is out-of-the-box enough in their parenting to support that. One of the books that really changed the way I think is Zac Bissonnettes book, Debt-Free U. He explains why no one should go into debt for college. Its just not worth it. He says, even if your parents have the money to pay for college, use it for something betterlike buying yourself a franchise and learning something thatll really help you establish yourself in the adult world. Baby Boomers are too competitive to risk pulling the college rug out from under their kids. And Gen Y are rule followersif adults tell them to go to college, they will go. Gen X is very practical and is also the first generation in American history to have less money than their parents. So it makes sense that Gen X would be the generation to tell their kids to forget about college. Ninety percent of Gen Y say they want to be entrepreneurs, but only a very small percent of them will ever launch a full-fledged business, because Generation Y are not really risk takers. However I am guessing (based on links like this one) that most members of Gen X have, at some point, worked for themselves. The entrepreneurship bug will be in full force when Gen Z comes along. They will feel they have no choice but to do that or weather an unstable workplace with huge college debt. People will trade in a college degree for on-the-job learning. The result will be a smarter workforce and the end of universities as a patronage system for philosophers.

Stay True to YOUR Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Stay True to YOUR Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Guest Post by Ryan Stephens. Ryan is a twenty something attending graduate school in Texas. He fancies himself an entrepreneur and writes about relationship marketing, social media, eCommerce, and other elements of business as it relates to Generation Y, on his blog, Ryan Stephens Marketing. He is also the co-founder of the Top 10 Gen Y Blogs featured on Squidoo.   Like   out past guest-poster, Jess, Ryan is one of Seth Godins interns for this summer. Maybe you’re about to graduate and you’re desperate to lock down your first job. Maybe you’re just tired of the one you have and you are exploring every connection on LinkedIn and your Rolodex searching for an opportunity to latch on to. No matter what the reason, in the midst of your search, always remember to stay true to your personal brand and what separates you, and sets you apart from other job seekers. By now you know that it is important to maintain a consistent message with respect to your personal brand, but some job seekers forget this notion when the possibility of a new (possibly higher paying) job presents itself. You would be surprised at how many people abandon their value proposition in job interviews out of desperation to obtain the job. This is silly for a number of reasons: 1) Passion drives success You should already know, or at least have a really good indication, of what you are passionate about and what you are good at. For example, I like to think that I am pretty good at networking, building intimate business relationships, relationship marketing and utilizing social media to facilitate all those things. I am passionate about Generation-Y and how they fit into our current society. Just because Hewlett-Packard might pay me $75K right out of college to sit in a cubicle and scour through countless spreadsheets crunching numbers for market research does not mean that I want my career heading that direction. More than half of today’s working American’s don’t like their jobs. Sure, some of them are relatively good at them, but if you are not passionate about what you’re doing, what difference does it make? [Disclaimer: If you â€"NEED- a job to provide for your family I respect that situation. I am not preaching Generation Y entitlement here.] If a job interview isn’t what you anticipated or it doesn’t seem to be the job description you signed up for, do not compromise your personal brand and exclaim that you are very methodical, exceptionally attentive and â€" love â€" working with spreadsheets all day. If you hold out for something that you are passionate about you will be happier in the long run. 2) Stay true to the real you inc. Sometimes staying true to your personal brand enables you to sometimes create your own job. So maybe you go into the interview, and about half-way through you can tell that it just is not going to be a fit, but you have done your research on the company and there is another area that is particularly interesting to you. It’s okay to be honest and upfront with an interviewer. Explain that while you are very gracious for the interview it does not seem to be a potential fit. If you have used the interview time to showcase your personal brand effectively, chances are you can make a great case for yourself in another department, or even creating your own job. Perhaps the company still tries to succeed with traditional advertising and you have a portfolio consisting of some freelance work you have done with small companies and social media that you suspect could translate into a profitable approach for that company. Utilize your personal brand to market yourself, all the while staying true to your unique value proposition. 3) Transparency and authenticity are key Finally, a lot of marketers talk about being transparent and authentic and it is something I whole-heartily believe in. So let’s say that you negotiate your personal brand in such a way that is conducive to receiving the job; however, you have altered your personal brand and a few months down the road you despise the job. Now, you want out and your personal brand isn’t consistent anymore. It’s possible that you could offer it up as a valuable experience, but the next company you approach might take into account that that particular experience just doesn’t seem to align with the rest of your personal brand. At this point are you still authentic? Maybe. Maybe not. The point is you never have to encounter this particular situation if you always stay true to your personal brand regardless of the interviewing and/or job description circumstances.

Resume Writing Tips For Experienced Individuals

Resume Writing Tips For Experienced IndividualsThere are several resume writing tips for experienced individuals. People who are used to writing resumes will tend to make their resume more formal and may fail to follow important tips on resume writing. In order to avoid making mistakes, it is essential to keep the following tips in mind when writing resumes.The first tip is to use a resume format that is easy to read and also helps the reader find information quicker. This means that the resume should be written in a clear and simple language which can be understood easily. This will ensure that the reader finds out what the person is after in a short amount of time.Another common mistake made by inexperienced writers is to leave out certain information, this can be done by listing in the resume all the jobs which they have held and put all the experience as 'job experience'. This will not help in answering the questions put by the reader but will only confuse them. Use bullet points only in the first two or three paragraphs of the resume and try to use the word 'in' rather than 'for'.In order to avoid this common error, the resume writer should stick to the facts. Try to list all the facts clearly in the resume and do not leave out any of the information. This is important to ensure that the reader gets all the important information.The next tip to writing a resume is to avoid using the term 'job title' too much. 'Job title' is considered as one of the most crucial sections in the resume, it needs to include all the relevant information. For example, if a person has been working as a flight attendant for more than ten years, then include all the relevant information such as name, address, contact number, and telephone number.The resume needs to be finished quickly, if a person takes a lot of time writing a resume and this can lead to many mistakes. It is important to finish the resume as soon as possible so that it is not considered incomplete. By doing this, the resume writer ensures that he or she has written all the information about the individual without leaving any of the important information out.The last tip is to avoid using excessive numbers of sentences in the resume and instead use few sentences. This is because a person will tend to read the information from top to bottom whereas it is common sense that you read the information from the top to bottom. If the person ends up reading the resume in this manner, then the reader will end up missing important information and they may choose to ignore the resume.These resume writing tips for experienced individuals are simply common sense and are easy to follow. In order to make sure that the reader finds all the information about the applicant in the resume, it is important to follow these tips and ensure that the resume looks professional and as if it were written by an experienced writer. People will find the resume to be professional if the resume writer follows the following ti ps and use the tips in his or her own resume writing.

Your Guide to Studying Abroad - CareerAlley

Your Guide to Studying Abroad - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Youre about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Studying abroad is a unique experience that youll treasure for the rest of your life, but getting there is tough. Have the best time of your life by following this guide. Research Study Abroad Programs There are scores of study abroad programs that all offer different experiences and accommodations, but choosing one may be the most difficult part of the process. Why? Each program has a list of the different services they offer and the various countries they provide for, diploma courses in Australia for international students. Even if you plan to study in a popular country such as Australia or a city like London or Barcelona, there are still dozens of programs to sift through. Your choice greatly depends on your personal needs and desires. Source Many universities offer their own programs, others are reserved for the academic elite, some specialize in certain subjects like the arts and others are run by private companies. Find a program that suits your needs and offers you a unique opportunity that you wont find anywhere else. Choose a Country Choosing a country is the easy part. Depending on the type of person you are and what you want to experience youll embark on an incredible journey in the country that suits you best. Many students choose a country based on culture, geography, proximity to transportation and safety. If you want to go on a European tour, you should position yourself in the middle of Europe where you can fly everywhere freely or join a program that hops to different countries. Studying abroad has been a rite of passage for adventurous university students around the world for many years. While the draw of new experiences and an exciting social life still appeals, the academic, cultural, and career benefits of studying abroad are now more relevant than ever. Studying abroad isnt just for undergrads anymore either. In recent years, the number of graduates looking to study advanced degrees overseas, particularly in the United States, has been on the rise. And in todays globalized economy, its clear why business-focused graduates are especially keen to gain international experience through their studies. Hult International Business School Find a program that suits the experience you want to have. Programs might offer mountain biking trips through Bolivia, wine tours in France, or a trek across the Great Wall of China. The program you choose will influence your experience as much as the country you decide to study in. Choose How to Finance Your Trip Financing a study abroad trip can be tough. After all, you might have already buried yourself in a mound of debt to get your degree. Fortunately, there are a variety of options available to guarantee your trip. Most programs offer a scholarship position or payment plan. Other programs, like CEA, have opportunities for grants and ticket vouchers. Some countries require you to have a certain amount in your bank account to earn a visa so plan your budget accordingly. If you need extra cash while youre there, find jobs for people who work remotely online to boost your bank account. Obtain a Passport/ Visas Start the passport and visa process early. Speak to a representative at your program to learn how to obtain your documents. Every country has different strict requirements that determine your eligibility, so dont wait until the last minute and miss your opportunity. Most importantly, make sure you schedule an appointment with your consulate well ahead of time because your nearest location may be hundreds of miles away. Become a Student of the World If you plan to study abroad, you might already know where you want to go. Perhaps you dreamed of visiting Paris when you were small or you want to go on an Indiana Jones adventure in Egypt. You dont need to have one particular reason to visit a country, but you do need the right attitude. Wherever you choose, you need to be open to what youre about to experience. Whether youre in Ireland, Cambodia, Bolivia or Ghana, youre going to embark on a personal journey. Being an international student can teach you a lot about another culture and about yourself. Studying abroad has the potential to be the adventure of a lifetime, but it can also be scary and challenging. Tweet This Studying abroad is a deeply personal experience, and each country will bring you something different. The people youll meet, the beautiful things youll see and the challenges youll face will mold you. At the end of your trip, its up to you to draw meaning from experience. Should you choose to become a student of the world youll gain more compassion, tolerance, open-mindedness and curiosity upon your return. Most study abroad alumni will tell you they had a rich experience unlike any other. Follow this guide and you too will have a trip youll never forget. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to launch your career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Career Solvers Featured in Oprah Magazine

Career Solvers Featured in Oprah Magazine The September issue of Oprah Magazine features four women at various stages of their careers: the stay at home mom returning to work, the single mom laid off from her position and seeking a new challenge, the recent college graduate looking for her big break, and the boomer trying to make a career transition later in life.I was fortunate to work with these women along with colleagues Louise Fletcher and Nancy Collamer to help them create a strategic job search plan. While each one has a different end goal, the course they need to take is in many ways the same. Here are some of the top tips shared with the women.Ask for information rather than a job. When you ask someone if they know if anyone is hiring there is a simple yes/no response (usually no) which leaves the conversation at a standstill. Instead of asking about job openings, ask your contacts if they would be willing to talk to you to share informationabout an industry, a company, a recruiter or whatever else will help get you one step closer to the ultimate hiring manager. Asking for a jobs can make the other person feel uncomfortable; asking for information can be flattering.Get on LinkedIn. With 60M+ users LinkedIn has become a must have resource for recruiters searching for top talent. If you arent on LinkedIn, recruiters may come to the conclusion that you are not current, not serious, or not good enough at what you do to be in the running for their openings.Be on-message. Prepare a succinct, compelling pith about what you are looking for and why you are qualified. Keep this message consistent in your resume, your online profiles, and your conversations.Reach out to companies directly. Do you dream of working for Google, Starbucks, JPMorgan Chase, or the Red Cross? If so, let the employer know that. More and more companies are filling positions through employee referrals and social networking and many never even post their open positions. Become an insider by reaching out to companies and expressing your interest before they have a job opening. If you can become top of mind with them, you increase the likelihood of being considered, should a position become available, or better still of having a position created for you based on the outstanding value the employer thinks you could bring to the organization.After several weeks of job search preparation, (and some fabulous hair, makeup, and wardrobe makeovers courtesy of Oprah Magazines creative team), the women are out working their contacts, setting up networking meetings and interviews, forwarding resumes, and working with recruiters.You can read more about each womans transformation by picking up the September issue (sorry, no link currently available) on newstands now.